Self-directed learning as a means to facilitate continuation training

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Background and orientation

The value of self-directed team work requires a concerted measurement of the impact of variables that enable or disable perceived team work effectiveness. The measurement of team performance relies on the team’s ability to function as a productive and collaborative entity. It is suggested that a collaborative and productive team is the result of people working and learning individually and collectively. People working together in teams should be able to harness their collective cognitive strategies to learn more about themselves, their team members, the work, and the team by drawing on collaborative dynamics and relationships. Team performance assessment requires the team to periodically pause in order to examine how well it is functioning (French & Bell, 1995: 170).

Problem statement

Evidence exists that air traffic control team interaction and team resource management is receiving
continued attention within the international academic sphere. Specific objectives in this regardinclude (ATNS, 2004: 1):
• Enhancing air traffic services staff and management awareness of human factors that could cause or exacerbate incidents that affect the safe, orderly and efficient conduct of operations.
• Enhancing knowledge of human factors and developing resource management skills and attitudes, which, when applied appropriately, could obviate an aircraft operation from incipient accidents and incidents whether perpetrated by technical or human factor failings.
• Implementing acquired knowledge, skills and attitudes to conduct and manage operations, and fully integrating these techniques throughout every facet of the organisation, in order to prevent the onset of incidents and potential accidents.
• Integrating commercially efficient operations with safety.
• Improving the working environment for air traffic services staff.

Significance of the study

During the investigation of the problem stated above I intended to:
• Trace the impact of self-directed team learning strategies in the air traffic control workplace;
• Identify, describe and analyse self-directed team learning strategies in the air traffic control workplace;
• Challenge the boundaries of theory, research, practice and assumptions associated with self-directed team learning in the workplace;
• Generate knowledge that will be useful to other disciplines that rely on effective teamwork, both within and outside the aviation environment; and
• Contribute to local and international literature on self-directed team learning within the air traffic
control work environment.

Research questions

Air traffic control teamwork is more cognitive and less physical due to task and information sharing, collaborative decision-making and co-operative work in the air traffic control system (Delsart, 2001:1 – 4). The complexity, speed and reality of technological change and innovation in the air traffic control environment necessitate a more proactive and dynamic approach to individual and team learning. As more people in the workplace start to reflect critically on their practice, question and challenge, in order to expand their collective capacity, the organisation will move towards being a learning organisation (Thomas, 2003: 12 – 15 and Meyer, 1999: 88).

Mode of inquiry

A mixed-method strategy allowed me to present a performance effectiveness assessment of air traffic control workplace learning strategies (what is happening?) by analysing reported workplace performance indicators (why is it happening?). This mixed-method strategy combined quantitative data with qualitative data in order to add depth and detail to findings (Swanson & Holton, 1997: 93). This mixed-method strategy is illustrated by the typology quantitative (quan) and qualitative (QUAL). Quantitative data collection made use of a psychometric instrument and a questionnaire whereas qualitative data collection instruments consisted of individual interviews and focus group interviews.

Chapter 1 Background and orientation
1 Background and orientation
2 Problem statement and significance of the study
2.1 Problem statement
2.2 Significance of the study
3 Stating the research questions and defining the topic
3.1 Research questions
3.2 Defining the topic: terms and definitions
4 Research strategy overview
4.1 Mode of inquiry
4.2 Research sites and sampling
4.3 Mixed-method data collection plan
4.4 Data analysis strategies
4.5 Validity, reliability and trustworthiness
5 Ethical considerations
6 Outline of chapters
Chapter 2 Literature review
1 Literature review structure
1.1 Orientation
1.2 Advantages of the literature review structure
2 The broad literature review focus
2.1 An impact study
2.2 Broad literature focus
3 Concept clarification
3.1 An overview of air traffic control
3.2 An overview of air traffic control training
3.3 An overview of human factors
3.4 An overview of teamwork in air traffic control
3.5 An overview of self-directed team learning
4 Detailed literature investigation
4.1 Point of departure
4.2 Adult learning
4.2.1 Introduction
4.2.2 Defining adult learning
4.2.3 The adult in self-directed adult learning
4.2.4 Self-directed adult learning characteristics
4.2.5 A functional self-directed adult learning environment
4.2.6 Self-directed learning as a means to facilitate continuation training
4.2.7 Role and relevance of adult learning
4.3 Learning within teams
4.3.1 Self-directed teams
4.3.2 Teamwork
4.3.3 Learning within a self-directed team
4.3.4 Role and relevance of team learning
4.4 Self-directed learning
4.4.1 Self-directed learning explored from an individual perspective
4.4.2 Self-directed learning explored from a team perspective
4.4.3 Intentional self-directed team learning and unintentional self-directed team learning
4.4.4 Role and relevance of self-directed learning
4.5 Air traffic control operations
4.5.1 Air traffic control operations/workplace
4.5.2 Air traffic control
4.5.3 Teamwork in air traffic control
4.5.4 Air traffic control teams
4.5.5 Air traffic control operational output
4.5.6 Role and relevance of air traffic control operations
4.6 Air traffic control training
4.6.1 The air traffic control operational training need
4.6.2 Design and development of air traffic control operational training
4.6.3 Air traffic control on-the-job training
4.6.4 Air traffic control continuation training 120
4.6.5 Role and relevance of air traffic control training
4.7 Human factors
4.7.1 Human factors in air traffic control
4.7.2 Role and relevance of air traffic control human factors
5 Reflection
Chapter 3 Conceptual orientation
1 Introduction
2 Philosophical departure
2.1 Humanist paradigm
2.2 Progressive paradigm
2.3 Technicist-behaviourist paradigm
2.4 Broad philosophical assumptions
2.4.1 Ontological assumptions
2.4.2 Epistemological assumptions
2.4.3 Anthropological assumptions
2.4.4 Methodological assumptions
2.5 Paradigmatic perspective
3 Conceptualising learning
3.1 Learning motives
3.2 Learning orientations
3.3 Learning approaches
3.4 Why do individuals and teams participate in learning?
4 Reflection
Chapter 4 Research design and methodology
1 Introduction
1.1 Aim and purpose of the research
1.2 Orienting decisions
2 Research constraints
3 Research possibilities
4 Mode of inquiry
5 Research setting
5.1 Sites
5.2 Sampling
6 Data collection plan
7 Mixed-method data collection techniques
7.1 Individual interviews
7.2 Focus group interviews
7.3 Self-directed Team Learning Questionnaire (SDTLQ)
7.4 Learning Approach Questionnaire (LAQ)
8 Role of the researcher
9 Data analysis
10 Data validation
10.1 Validity
10.2 Reliability
10.3 Trustworthiness
11 Conclusion
Chapter 5 Analysis and presentation of results
1 Introduction
2 Qualitative results
2.1 Results of individual interviews
2.1.1 Results: Impact of self-directed team learning dynamics within self-managed air traffic control work teams
2.1.2 Results: Impact of teamwork on air traffic control workplace performance outcomes
2.1.3 Results: Impact of self-directed team learning in the air traffic control workplace continuation training scenario
2.2 Results of focus group interviews
2.2.1 Results: Impact of teamwork on air traffic control workplace performance outcomes
2.2.2 Results: Impact of self-directed team learning dynamics within self-managed air traffic control work teams
2.2.3 Results: Impact of self-directed team learning in the air traffic control workplace continuation training scenario
3 Quantitative results
3.1 Self-directed Team Learning Questionnaire (SDTLQ) results
3.1.1 Self-directed Team Performance results
3.1.2 Self-directed Team Learning results
3.1.3 Team performances and self-directed team learning relationship results
3.1.4 Continuation training results
3.2 Team learning approaches and self-directed team relationship results
4 Conclusion
Chapter 6 Discussion of findings and contextualising results
1 Introduction
2 Findings
2.1 Self-directed air traffic control team performance results
2.1.1 Aspects identified that advanced my understanding of self-directed air traffic control team performance results
2.1.2 Relationships inferred from an analysis of self-directed air traffic control team performance results
2.1.3 Reported practices that influenced my understanding of self-directed air traffic control team performance results
2.1.4 Summary
2.2 Self-directed air traffic control team learning results
2.2.1 Aspects identified that advanced my understanding of self-directed team learning dynamics within self-managed air traffic control teams
2.2.2 Relationships inferred from an analysis of self-directed team learning dynamics within self-managed
air traffic control teams
2.2.3 Reported practices that influenced my understanding of self-directed team learning dynamics within self-managed air traffic control teams
2.2.4 Summary
2.3 Future/continued air traffic control team learning possibilities
2.3.1 Aspects identified that advanced my understanding of
future/continued air traffic control team learning possibilities
2.3.2 Relationships inferred from an analysis of future/continued air traffic control team learning possibilities
2.3.3 Reported practices that influenced my understanding of future/continued air traffic control team learning possibilities
2.3.4 Summary
3 Contextualising results
4 Synthesis
Chapter 7 Conclusions and recommendations
1 Introduction
2 Overview of this study
3 Limitations of this study
4 Ethical aspects
5 Summary of findings
6 Answering the research questions
7 Possible contributions
8 Recommendations
8.1 Recommendations for practice
8.2 Recommendations for training
8.3 Recommendations for research
9 Concluding comments
References